Short Stories - Literary Devises Title: Dr.Heidegger’s Experiment
Point of View: Limited Omniscient
Protagonist: Dr.Heidegger
What type of character is the Protagonist? Round and dynamic
Antagonist: Himself, time
Describe the setting Since they use words like “ye”, it’s somewhere in that past. Also, Dr.Heideggar said “... which Ponce de Leon, the Spanish adventurer, went in search of, two or three centuries ago. Ponce lived up to 1521, while two or three centuries later is 1700-1800s. They all are in an old fashioned chamber, which was dim, dusty, and covered in cobwebs.
Type of Conflict: Man vs nature Man vs himself
Describe the main conflict: The main conflict is when Dr.Heidegger and the 4 friends fight off their past life, wishing to be young once again
Describe the Climax of the Story: The climax of the story was when the “eternal water” took effect, when the 3 men strangled each other for Madam Wycherly..
How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? The protagonist changed over the story because at first, Dr.Heidegger wanted to redo his life, but after the experiment, he decided that it would be best if he did not use the water
Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. The theme was that the human brain can make what you want to believe become true. It’s related to the title because Dr.Heidegger wanted to experiment and see if that was true.
How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? The 4 friends wished that they were young again, so when they drunk the “eternal water”, they believed it and thought they were younger.
How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? The 4 friends were so high on thinking that they were young again, they believed that they were young again, which made them seem as if they were young again.
Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):
Simile: “... as black as ebony...”
Metaphor: “ … and whose misfortune it was that they were not long ago from their graves.”
Personification: “... tradition tells us...”
Symbol: Wrinkles- It can mean that the person is old, but also means that the person is very wise, from the years of experience.
Foreshadowing (give both elements): “ It was a circumstance worth mentioning, that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr.Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr.Gascoigne, were early lovers, and had once been on the point of cutting each other’s throats for her sake.” “ Inflamed to madness by the coquetry of the girl-widow, who neither granted nor quite withheld her favors, the rivals began to interchange threatening glances. Still keeping hold of the fair prize, they grappled fiercely at one another’s throats.”
Irony: The 4 friends did not believe in eternal water at first, but then they became all silly after a couple of drinks, believe it was working.
Imagery: “It was apparently impregnated with an effervescent gas, for the little bubbles were continually ascending from the depths of the glasses, and bursting into silvery spray at the surface”
Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. The story explains what us humans can do with our brains. We try to avoid things if we don’t like it, or want to redo it, if it was bad. If it was something we really want, we would become foolishly naive without a second thought.
1.) According to Dr.Heidegger, the experiment was just for curiosity’s sake.
2.) Dr.Heidegger and his friends all have 1 thing in common: they wished they could redo their youth.
3.) Dr.Heidegger would not stoop to bathe lis hips in the Fountain of Youth because of many reason. For 1, stooping means to bring yourself down to a lower level. Also, Dr.Heidegger knows what the experiment was about, and if my guess it correct, the “eternal” water is fake, so it would not have the same effect on him. Also, it could be that Dr.Heidegger wants to record, so he cannot drink for himself, for he will not be able to observe the others.
4.)The narrator of the story, I believe, is some sort of supernatural being that was in the room eg. A ghost. They have all the details down, like the facial expression and such, but does not know what they’re thinking, only what they’re speaking. Something like a ghost would not be able to read their minds, but would know everything else, like speech.
5.) Some point made about youth and aging were that the youth are always going to be bound to do crazy things, and the old are wise. I do not agree with what the story implies. The youth can crazy, but there are some who are very wise. Also, being old does not mean that you are wise. Some elderly people are insane in the head, as everyone can be insane. Being old does not automatically make you lose your insanity, if you were when you were young.
7.) Yes, I do believe that vaccines that make you live 800 years long is desirable. People would not have to take the vaccine if they do not like it. Also, it gives people more time to learn about the world, and many of it’s wonders. Even if you took the vaccine, if you do not want to live anymore, you could always just jump off a cliff. It’s desirable because you have a choice. Although some people may think it’s desirable, others may not. People who find this desirable and have wealth would end up hogging all of the money and may create recessions.
Point of View:
Limited Omniscient
Protagonist:
Dr.Heidegger
What type of character is the Protagonist?
Round and dynamic
Antagonist:
Himself, time
Describe the setting
Since they use words like “ye”, it’s somewhere in that past. Also, Dr.Heideggar said “... which Ponce de Leon, the Spanish adventurer, went in search of, two or three centuries ago. Ponce lived up to 1521, while two or three centuries later is 1700-1800s.
They all are in an old fashioned chamber, which was dim, dusty, and covered in cobwebs.
Type of Conflict:
Man vs nature
Man vs himself
Describe the main conflict:
The main conflict is when Dr.Heidegger and the 4 friends fight off their past life, wishing to be young once again
Describe the Climax of the Story:
The climax of the story was when the “eternal water” took effect, when the 3 men strangled each other for Madam Wycherly..
How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?
The protagonist changed over the story because at first, Dr.Heidegger wanted to redo his life, but after the experiment, he decided that it would be best if he did not use the water
Describe the relationship between the title and the theme.
The theme was that the human brain can make what you want to believe become true. It’s related to the title because Dr.Heidegger wanted to experiment and see if that was true.
How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?
The 4 friends wished that they were young again, so when they drunk the “eternal water”, they believed it and thought they were younger.
How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?
The 4 friends were so high on thinking that they were young again, they believed that they were young again, which made them seem as if they were young again.
Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):
Simile:
“... as black as ebony...”
Metaphor:
“ … and whose misfortune it was that they were not long ago from their graves.”
Personification:
“... tradition tells us...”
Symbol:
Wrinkles- It can mean that the person is old, but also means that the person is very wise, from the years of experience.
Foreshadowing (give both elements):
“ It was a circumstance worth mentioning, that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr.Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr.Gascoigne, were early lovers, and had once been on the point of cutting each other’s throats for her sake.”
“ Inflamed to madness by the coquetry of the girl-widow, who neither granted nor quite withheld her favors, the rivals began to interchange threatening glances. Still keeping hold of the fair prize, they grappled fiercely at one another’s throats.”
Irony: The 4 friends did not believe in eternal water at first, but then they became all silly after a couple of drinks, believe it was working.
Imagery: “It was apparently impregnated with an effervescent gas, for the little bubbles were continually ascending from the depths of the glasses, and bursting into silvery spray at the surface”
Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story.
The story explains what us humans can do with our brains. We try to avoid things if we don’t like it, or want to redo it, if it was bad. If it was something we really want, we would become foolishly naive without a second thought.
1.) According to Dr.Heidegger, the experiment was just for curiosity’s sake.
2.) Dr.Heidegger and his friends all have 1 thing in common: they wished they could redo their youth.
3.) Dr.Heidegger would not stoop to bathe lis hips in the Fountain of Youth because of many reason. For 1, stooping means to bring yourself down to a lower level. Also, Dr.Heidegger knows what the experiment was about, and if my guess it correct, the “eternal” water is fake, so it would not have the same effect on him. Also, it could be that Dr.Heidegger wants to record, so he cannot drink for himself, for he will not be able to observe the others.
4.)The narrator of the story, I believe, is some sort of supernatural being that was in the room eg. A ghost. They have all the details down, like the facial expression and such, but does not know what they’re thinking, only what they’re speaking. Something like a ghost would not be able to read their minds, but would know everything else, like speech.
5.) Some point made about youth and aging were that the youth are always going to be bound to do crazy things, and the old are wise. I do not agree with what the story implies. The youth can crazy, but there are some who are very wise. Also, being old does not mean that you are wise. Some elderly people are insane in the head, as everyone can be insane. Being old does not automatically make you lose your insanity, if you were when you were young.
7.) Yes, I do believe that vaccines that make you live 800 years long is desirable. People would not have to take the vaccine if they do not like it. Also, it gives people more time to learn about the world, and many of it’s wonders. Even if you took the vaccine, if you do not want to live anymore, you could always just jump off a cliff. It’s desirable because you have a choice. Although some people may think it’s desirable, others may not. People who find this desirable and have wealth would end up hogging all of the money and may create recessions.
COMPLETION 5/5
EFFORT 4/5
CONTENT 4/5
QUESTIONS 10/12
TOTAL 23/27